disease he that shal cast into a mans mind a suspition of error by instancing in so many men that while they dream'd of nothing less did yet walk in greatest darkness to the end he may shew him the way to attain to a sure and stedfast knowledg we ought to judg this man not to give pernicious but healthful and very necessary counsel To the end therefore that thou mayst not oppose at any time and trouble a man that would teach the Truth either thou must of necessity attain unto a certain firm knowledg of what ever may at any come time into Controversie in the Church which what a piece of work it wil be any man may judg or certainly if at any time thou shalt hear any matter which sounds new in thine ear before thou condemnest it thou must pause a while and think with thy self what kind of knowledg thou hast of that thing And lest thou be deceived taking a vehement perswasion for certain science let us consider what we are to account science and what opinion and this it becomes us to do not as Philosophers but as the Disciples of Christ There is nothing more certain then that we in point of Religion can hold nothing for certain but from the testimony of Gods Word This many texts of Scripture witness let these few serve in stead of many David himself King of Israel and a famous Prophet when he had resolved to build a Temple to the Lord yet could he not divine the mind of God in that point Neither did Nathan a great Prophet likewise come neerer the mind of God in his exhorting David to perform his purpose for by him God forbad David to build any Temple which is a considerable instance Now of Joshua the successor of Moses it is written that he was indued with the spirit of wisdom and that God promised to be with him perpetually yet is he commanded to have regard to fulfil the Law which he had received from Moses and not to turn from it to the right hand or to the left and the reason why is added that thou mayst know saith the Lord what thou oughtest to do Whence we may understand that then we are sure of thing if we have a Word of God for it But how plainly have we this in another place My thoughts are not like your thoughts Isaiah saith the Lord neither are my reasons like your reasons but look how much the Heaven is higher then the Earth so much are my thoughts above your thoughts and my reasons above your reasons Neither is it sufficient in any sort to build upon the divine Scriptures on any fashion but it is needful that we attain the knowledg of them by the interpretation of the holy spirit for as much as we see so many differing judgments in matter of Religion even amongst the most learned and most exercised in the reading of holy Scriptures For Paul testifies that only the Spirit of God knows the things of God 1 Cor. 2. neither doth mans sense understand the things of the Spirit neither can he understand them for they seem to be foolishness unto him but the spiritual man judgeth all things Whereupon James exhorts him that wants wisdom to ask it of God From all which it is gathered that he hath the knowledg of divine things who both depends only on the Word of God and hath attained the true understanding thereof by help of no other interpreter but the Spirit of God himself And all this wil they willingly grant to whom we now address our speech But here is coucht a great difficulty For many perswade themselves that they can prove what they hold from testimony of Gods Word that the spirit of God is their guide and teacher to furnish them with the understanding thereof who notwithstanding err monstrously They suppose they begged of God for his Spirit and that they have placed all their confidence in his assistance who are not aware in the mean while that their trust hath been in any thing rather then in him But before thou canst conclude of a surety that thou hast obtained his Spirit and learned any thing by the guidance thereof what ever thing there is which might move thee to think so or so or confirm a perswasion taken up such as is an opinion of thine own or anothers knowledg judgment spirit holiness likewise the multitude of those that think as thou thinkest or of those which praise thee admire thee depend upon thy judgment also the long while that the opinion opposed hath been in repute finally whatsoever is not God or his Word from it thou oughtest to withdraw thine eyes thy mind and all thy thoughts no less then if there were no such thing in the world and then all other hope and confidence being cast away to fix thine eyes and mind on God alone to depend only upon him and thus affected in this posture to ask his Spirit Thus if thou shalt do if frequently if seriously if believingly thou shalt do it then mayst thou with good reason conclude that thou art not possessed with any pernicious Error or in case thou art possessed with any that it shal be made known to thee But these things are such as we can with much more facility express them in words then in deeds so liable is the disposition of man to Error yea so apt naturally is he to put trust in any thing rather then God In a word so sly so industrious so wel furnished is Sathan with divers Arts to deceive that when thou hast done all thou canst it wil be an hard matter in some point or other not to be overseen Which I would not have any man think I therefore speak as supposing there can be no certainty in divine matters which conceit I am as far from as he that is farthest But this is that which I would by no means suffer that he which as yet is arrived unto no certainty and is peradventure plunged as yet in false opinions should arrogate unto himself knowledg but I would have him endeavor to get it indeed and endeavor as he ought to do He that hath once attained clear and certain knowledg exhort him as long as you wil and let him endeavor as much as he can to suspect himself of Error yet shal he never be able to entertain any such suspition of himself Such kind of exhortations then can move suspitiō only in them who either err or have not yet attained firm and constant knowledg but may attain the same as yet to whom whiles the right way of attaining thereto is shewn and they are admonished of what blocks and trapps in their way they ought to take heed truly I cannot see but that the counsel we give them is very safe and profitable Wherefore that a man may not any ways offend by opposing the Truth either in publick or private by word of mouth or by writing I would perswade him by
greatest of sinners especially by so cruel and bloody a death Oh had we but the least suspition concerning any man that he should hereafter be a King yea the best of Kings suppose his present condition to be never so mean and obscure how far would we be from contemning such a man And what I pray you is the dignity and soveraignty of a King compared with that dgnity and lustre which is laid up for Gods elect And shal we account that man unworthy of our humanity and good wil who for ought we know is born to this glory Again it wil be very effectual to move thee to a gentle opinion concerning such a man if entring into thine own heart thou shalt take a diligent and strict survey of all thy actions of thy whole life and cogitations and examine them by the Law of God And if so be thou shalt find thy self tainted in the presence of God with many and great sins and yet dost comfort thy self that he wil not deal severely with thee nor punish thee according to thy deserts but rather carry himself towards thee as a tender God and Father why mayst thou not hope that he shal be partaker of the like gentleness And since in regard of this hope of thine thou lookest upon thy self as one no ways to be despised what reason is there thou shouldest not judg the same of another Further with such meditations as these we must ioyn frequent and fervent prayers to God that he would soften our heart and would plant therein with his own hand a true and living charity which wil direct us unto such apt and convenient ways of dealing with our brother that it wil be a miracle if we do not shortly reclaim him And whereas no man can understand the things of God but by the spirit of God before we begin any dispute let us wrastle with God by prayer taking to our assistance some other godly persons that he by his spirit would be present with the person erring and open his heart and eyes that he may acknowledg the truth yea and we ought to exhort him to make the like prayer to God in his own behalf As for demonstrations they wil be then available to manifest the truth when God is their Author as it is writen I wil instruct you with such a tongue and such wisdom that no body shal be able to resist you And again as the rain and snow descend from heaven and return not thither again but do moisten and soften the earth making it to bud and bring forth and yeeld bread to sustain the life of man so my word that proceeds out of my mouth shal not return to me fruitless but shal accomplish all my will shal prosper towards those to whom I shal send it Here then we see that prayers are again necessary unto the Lord that he would not only open the heart of the person erring but also suggest unto us such words as maybe most fitting to demonstrate the truth And if it shal not seem absurd to allow some place for such arts which though they be termed humane yet if a man shal no other ways use them then as knowing that while he plants and waters it must be God that can give the encrease and putting all his confidence in him no man can deny but they are the gifts of God I shal further add that those demonstrations have power to perswade which taking their rise from things evidently known and from such places of Scripture as are most clear and uncapable of different interpretations in a due order and with a perpetual connexion no medium being overpast or misplaced do arrive unto the point in controversie or else which shal begin at the Tenet to be disproved and some other point out of all question inferring by degrees until such time as the party erring shal be brought to some great absurdity which when by no means it can be maintained it is impossible but the party dealt with shal confess that somewhat untrue hath bin laid down especially if this shal be done with words and expressions noways obscure doubtful or intricate but plain clear and familiar Howbeit to say the truth few there are that can thus do and the reason is because there are very few that had not far rather be writers and speakers then Meditators Now it is not enough if the argument which thou shalt bring shalt seem unto thee to the purpose but it ought to be accommodated to the wit and judgment of him that is to be perswaded therewith As for example if thou haply shalt so prize the Authority of Origen as to think thou oughtest to credit what ever he says and shalt alleadg some place of his writings wherein he seems to take thy part this may seem to thee to make much on thy side but if he with whom thou hast to deal shal give little or no credit to Origen this Testimony wil stand thee in no stead and as little shalt thou prevail if having to deal with a Turk or some other enemy to Christianity thou shalt make use of Testimonies of Scripture Thus likewise it will come to pass if dealing with reasons thou shalt take such things for grant which howbeit to thee they seem out of question yet thy Adversary is not perswaded of their truth For thou oughtest to assume such things as are true not only in thine own but in his account also As if thou shalt say we must not confess our sins to a Priest because God hath not commanded it and there stop for he which doth not as yet know or at least for the present remembers not that we ought to observe nothing but what God himself shal command wil not a whit be moved with that reason There is a like but more obscure passage in Tullies book called Laelius the words are these Scipio denied that any speech could be more contrary to friendship then his that said a man ought so to love as remembring that he may hate where he loves neither could he perswade himself that as it is believed Bias should utter any such thing who was accounted one of the seven wise men but that it came from some base ambitious spirit from a man that would reduce all things to his own power For how is it possible any man should be his friend to whom he conceives he may become an enemy Yea he must of necessity desire and wish that his friend may frequently offend that he may give him the more occasions to reprehend him Again he must of necessity be vexed greived and moved to envy by the wel-doing and profit of his friends So far Loelius Now a man wil wonder how these absurdities should follow from the speech of Bias whereas haply had the Argumentation bin compleat all occasion of mervail would have bin taken away And that thou mayst understand what the way of prevailing in this case is what reasons wil move thine
be conversant in before we begin a dispute to the end we may neither our selves be moved nor move our adversary to passion A mans nobility Wealth Authority Reputations are the weapons wherewith Satan fights against him The grand combate in all disputes is with Satan The main quarrel is not so much the point in question as the Peace and Tranquillity and safety of the Church of Christ A disputant must take heed of being too wise in his own eyes No vice so hardly rooted out of a mans spirit as Arrogance A medicine against arrogance The top of humane wisdom to suspect a mans own wisdom and seek Counsel We cannot dispute with any person so despicable but look how much we think our selves wiser then him by so much he takes himself to be wiser then Vs The use of this Observation LIB II. IN the former book we have discoursed concerning unprofitable questions how they may be distinguished from profitable ones and how they ought to be avoided it follows now that we should declare what may befit a godly man to do if it shal appear that the business in Controversie be a matter of great weight And here doubtless if thou wilt give eare to Satan he wil endeavour to advance his designs exceedingly by thy means So that some error shall not be extirpated but spread abroad far and neer yea and become as it were the seed of many other errors so that contentions discords variance sects devastations and mighty hurliburlies shall thence arise and to the end he wil labour might and main that no moderate circumspect grave counsel may take place but that all things be transacted rashly without advice confusedly What now shal a Christian and prudent spirit do in this case Shal he think of obeying Satan and furthering his counsels Wil he make him his Counsellor and Captain Wil he not rather with all diligence of mind provide that all things be managed with the greatest discretion possible So that not a word as neer as may be shal pass which is not exactly fitted by reason and polished Wil he not weigh with himself again and again what is needful to be done Here here indeed is need of prudence resist the beginnings whiles the flame is yet smal if thou shalt let it alone a little while and give fuel to it likewise who shal be able to quench the Fire These things I say are to be foreseen in time If thou shalt hear any impious Doctrine what thinkest thou wil the speech of Satan be in thy heart He wil try peradventure if he can bring the Error in credit with thee also but if he find the doors shut on this side and shal thee another way O abominable wickedness wil he say O this fellow deserves that the Earth should open its mouth and swallow him up quick that durst once speak such abhominable words t is pity he were not burnt with fire from Heaven The basest and wickedest fellow that ever the Earth bare Is it possible that any man should so much as once think of such things much less account them true If thou give way to such thoughts as these what canst thou do or say which wil not occasion a thousand mischiefs Perswade thy self that the Spirit of God is not author of such councels but Satan Such thoughts are not fit to take away the evil but to increase it more and more and render it uncapable of all cure Somewhat else there is to be done to remedy this evil And first how knowest thou but that this man haply what ever he may seem to be is one of Gods elect whom God indeed hath suffered to fall out of some secret but most wise and loving purpose of his own that he may raise him again with much more glory whom did'st thou but know to be such an one could'st thou entertain any inhumane thoughts against him who is ordained to the possession of the glory of the Elect and to be an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven against thy brother against a member of Christ against a servant yea and a son of God But thou wilt say by this reason the Magistrate must suffer theeves robbers cut-throats and other criminal offenders for as much as all such may be of the number of the elect such as may in time be reclaimed I answer a godly and wise Magistrate when he punishes such like offenders he doth it not to satisfie his own hatred but executes that office whereunto he is called of God knowing that he is bound to obey Gods revealed wil whatever his own reason may notwithstanding prompt him unto Even as Abraham was ready at Gods command to offer his most beloved and most innocent son Isaac And in the mean time he omits no office of humanity towards such as are to be put to death But thou wilt say further Can the ears then oâ— that man which loves God hear accursed speeches against God and be no more moved then if they nothing concerned him I answer and grant that a man ought to be moved and vehemently moved in such a case but would not allow that motion to be a rash head-long zeal but a zeal guided by the most accurate reason not of Satans but of the Spirit of Gods begetting If thou hadst a brother or a son rather whom thou exceedingly lovedst thou couldst not see him catch a dangerous fall but especially in case he were therewith grievously wounded thou wouldst be much moved but with what kind of motion or affection So as to inveigh against him with harsh language to overwhelm him with revilings and reproaches Yea rather thou wouldst run to him and raise him up as gingerly as thou canst Thou wouldst bid him be of good cheer and leave nothing undone which might free him from or at least mitigate his pain Thou wouldst spare no pains and watch with him whole nights together And in case the anguish of his wound shal make him froward thou wilt nevertheless remit nothing of thy great tenderness over him Such would I have the motion of thy mind to be to be grieved at the fall of thy brother to be grieved that God is offended to be grieved for their sakes whom he hath mis-taught so a that they are in danger to lose their salvation But let the effects of thy griefs be that thou endeavor with all thy might either wholy to remove or to lessen the evil and that thou take heed again and again as in a business wherein thou canst not err without great danger that thou neither do or speak any thing which may increase the same nor of which thou canst not foresee some certain hope of profit and that thou wilt so order thy self that in case thou shalt at any time observe that what thou didst to a good end had a bad issue thou wilt be content with the hazard of thy reputation to correct thine Error Furthermore three things seem to require our consideration what course
terms who was sent to curse and yet in conclusion blessed altogether Numb 24.10 It is hard to say whether that hand which desires to be lifted up against Error and Heresie with success had more need of softness or strength Few mens Errors finde access to their judgments but by the way of their affections He that will the Judgment win With th' Affections must begin Nor will it be easie for men to come at them to dethrone them but by making their approaches the same way I mean by making friends of their affections that they may not side with their Judgments against them I have not met with any Author comparable to this now in thine hand for a Christian genius and dexterity in teaching that desireable and happy Art as well of composing differences in matters of Judgment as far as a composure in this kinde may with the honor of Truth be admitted as of opposing that which is not meet to be admitted to composition He intituleth his Book Stratagemata Sathanae Satans Stratagems He might as properly with respect to the matter of it have stiled it Stratagemata Christi the Stratagems of Christ inasmuch as the wisdom which is revealed from Heaven for the countermining of Satan in his attempts upon the precious souls of men by errors and heresies is here drawn out in such happy directions and instructions for that purpose that had they their weight and worth in practise and due obedience the Kingdom of Error and Heresie would soon be shaken If any man listed in this warfare being of Iehu's complexion cannot endure to march against his Enemy with a sober pace and had rather be tossing Firebals of Granado's then weilding the Sword of the Spirit this Author is like to find smal thanks from such a person ten to one but he wil * Ier. 8.18 smite him with the tongue To such an one I would make no other Answer but that of the man that had been healed of blindness to the Pharisees concerning our Lord Whether he be a sinner or no I know not one thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see Whereas I was ignorant in many things which it concerned me to know about opposing Errors and Heresies I now understand them Reader though I am none of those that are facile * Prov. 6.22 26. to strike hands or become surety for debt yet thus far I dare engage for the Treatise in thy hand that if thou wilt diligently peruse it it shal recompence thee with a better thing then Repentance for thy pains The Father of lights and God of Truth according to the unsearchable riches of his Grace in Christ break up at last all the fountains of the great deep of Truth and open the windows of Heaven that knowledg may fil the Earth as waters cover the Sea keep thee and me from the danger and defilement of Error and Heresie and vouchsafe us the honor of being instruments in his hand for the preservation of others also from the same misery Thine to serve thee in the Faith and Love of Jesus Christ J. GOODVVIN From my Study Colemanstreet LONDON Feb. 9. 1647. The Testimonies of the famously learned Petrus Ramus a French Protestant Martyr slain in the Massacre of Paris for the witness of Iesus and of Mr Commâ—nius a learned and godly German Writer now liviâ—g and of great fame for his labors in the Reformation of Learning concernâ—ng the Worth of our AUTHOR THe name of Jacobus Acontius hath now of a long time been fameously known to the world by the excellent Monuments of his Wit I took great content to hear tel of the Humanity and Grace together with the various and profound Arts of Jacobus Acontius P. Ramus in an Epistle to our Author being in England which is extant in a Collection of Epistles and Orations of P. Ramus Aud. Talaeus in 8o. Scripturientis nostri aevi cacoethe offensus Jacobus Acontius Vir excellentissimus provideri posse optabat c. that is Jacobus Acontius a most excellent man offended at the scribling sickness of our Age wished that order might be taken c. Johan And Commenius in the Preface to his Idea or Epitomie of Nat. Philosophy at the beginning The Testimony of certain most eminent French Divines concerning this Treatise WIth the reading of Acontius his Book of the Stratageâ—s of Satan I was not only my self exceedingly refreshed but having commended the same to the reading of some of our Divines of greatest Reputation and Learning they exceedingly approved both the modesty of the language and the Prudence of the Discourse it self I am possessed with an earnest longing to know and peruse all Acontius his writings Pet. Ramus in Epistola ante citatâ A Letter of the learned and judicious Mr DURY one of the Assembly of Ministers to Mr SAMUEL HARTLIB touching the Author Dear Friend I Am heartily glad that some body hath taken the pains to translate into English Acontii Stratagemata in these times of strife and confusion The Author was an excellent man and throughly knowing in many Sciences his excellency did lie in the depth and solidity of his Judgment in every thing and in the Piety and Moderation of his spirit in Matters of Religion At the breaking forth of the Gospel when he did live many that were convicted of the errors of the Church of Rome were staggered at the Truth and the profession thereof by the Reformed Churches because of the manifold disputes and the disorders found amongst them and ever since continued by the subtilty of Satan who not being able to hinder the breaking in of more light doth endevor to make it either ineffectual or hurtful to the salvation of mens souls As it was then so it is now at every Period of our Reformation he doth make every Truth a Matter of Strife and what he cannot suppress by the power of ignorance he endevors to pervert by the evil use that men make of knowledg to disappoint them of the end for which God hath given it This wise man in his time did discover Satans aym and warned his Generation faithfully and chiefly the Watchmen of the grand adversaries design against them But how much this Admonition is laid to heart doth appear by the Distempers of all places whereof both the Causes and Remedies are here discovered and offered to the Churches but minded almost by none However some there are at all times wil be who wil be affected herewith and God is able by their means to qualifie the spirits of others and to cast Satan under the feet of his Elect and Faithful servants in his own time Therefore it is very useful that such Testimonies as these should be extant and now to us they are very seasonable although perhaps in haste we shal see no great fruit thereof But our comfort is that although the Kingdom of Heaven is as a grain of mustard seed yet it groweth at last to be a mighty
but from God So Martha after that our Lord had told her that he was the Resurrection and the Life and that if any man beleeved in him though he were dead yet he should live and all that should live and beleeve in him should never dye She made answer I beleeve that thou art the Messias the Son of God who wer 't to come into the world And to the Thief who begged of Lord that he would remember him when he came into his Kingdom he gave this answer Luke 23. This I promise thee that thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise And the Eunuch after he had confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God Acts 8. he was baptized Likewise when four men carrying the pulsied man and endeavoring to bring him to be cured were not able to come near for the press but let him down in his bed through the roof into the midst before Jesus Jesus knowing their so great faith said unto the man Son thy sins are forgiven thee By which place we may conjecture what was the faith of that palsied person For he beleeved in all probability that that same man whose name was Jesus came from God and was in favor with God and therefore he hoped that by his means he might recover his health But that he knew all those things which the Church hath for a long time accounted as articles of Faith necessary to be beleeved to Salvation how likely a matter it is I leave it to every man to judg There are likewise many other texts to the very same purpose For to that same unclean woman that washed our Lords feet with her tears it was said Thy Faith hath saved thee The same was spoken to that other woman having the flux of blood who hoped If she might touch the hem of his garment she should be healed The same was done to that one of the ten cleansed lepers who returned thanks to God And Iohn says Hereby ye shal know the Spirit of God whatever spirit shal confess that Iesus Christ is come and that he is made man that Spirit is of God and again Whosoever shal confess that Iesus is the Son of God God abides in him and he in God Also Paul denies That any can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit And forasmuch as Abraham is called the Father of Beleevers and we are taught chiefly by his example that Righteousness consists in Faith Truly it wil be labor wel bestowed to consider what that was which when he beleeved it was counted unto him for righteousness He was promised that he should be the Father of many Nations he was promised that happiness should betide to all the Nations of the world by his seed Finally he had the Land of Canaan promised to him and very great prosperity But of those points of Religion which it is judged every body is bound to know upon pain of damnation we read not a word Yea and the mystery of Salvation it self by his seed is very closely and obscurely promised And truly these are the only points which I find in the Scriptures recorded as necessary to be beleeved for the attainment of Salvation Let us now consider who they be unto whom in Scripture Salvation is denyed in respect of unbelief Unto the Apostles it was said in general terms Go ye through the whole earth publishing the Gospel to all persons he that shal beleeve and be baptized shal be saved but he that shal not beleeve shal be condemned Which words as is manifest by what we formerly said are not so to be understood as if he had said He that shal not rightly understand whatever you shal teach but shal in some point mis-interpret your words shal be condemned but by the word Gospel we must understand that same blessed message of redemption by the name of Christ He that shal beleeve that by the name of Christ he shal be saved he shal be saved he that shal not so beleeve shal be condemned In the same manner are those words of Paul to be expounded Gal 1. If any shal teach you different from what you have learned let him be accursed as if he should have said If any shal teach you that you must obtain salvation by any other way then by faith in the name of Christ let him be accursed Howbeit whosoever shal teach any thing otherwise then the Apostles taught although it be none of the principal heads of Religion yet is he so far forth to be accursed in as much as all false doctrine comes from none but the Devil the father of lyes But it is not presently to be concluded that such a person is quite out of the way of Salvation for our Lord rebuking Peter himself because he dehorted him from suffering death calls him Satan Iohn 6. More particularly our Lord says Vnless you shal both eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man ye shal not obtain life Which imports as much as if he had said Unless ye shal beleeve that I am the Son of God and that I am sent from God my Father and that you shal obtain Salvation by my Name you shal not obtain life And again Vnless ye shal beleeve that I am he ye shal dye in your sins 2 Iohn 2. 1 Iohn 4. And John says Who is a lyar but he that denies Jesus to be the Son And hereby shal you know the Spirit of Goâ— whatever spirit confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God But whatever spirit shal deny that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh Gal. 5. the same is not of God Paul adds If you be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing And a little after Ye have no part in Christ who lace your righteousness in the Law ye are fallen from Grace And Peter there is no other name among men under heaven Acts 4. by which we can be saved By which testimonies of Scripture we are taught that such places as witness that he which beleeves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God shal be saved are not so to be understood as that if a man shal so beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as he beleeves that Iulius Caesar was the first who brought the Roman Commonwealth into bondage and made himself Emperor of Rome or any other matter wherein himself is not concerned that he shal be saved but that he truly beleeves that Jesus is the Son of God who beleeves it as a thing that concerns himself that is to say who beleeves that he whom we call Jesus is the Son of God his Jesus and his Christ that is his Savior and his King in whom alone he places all the hope of his Salvation Unless we shal admit of this interpretation neither Pauls nor Peters words will hang together These very few points are all that we can find expressed in Scripture as being necessary
which were agreeable to the words indeed but far from the scope and purpose of that Text. In lâ—ke sort those words of Solomon need an exposiâ—ion The condition of man and beast is the same as these did so do they both die alike neither is a man better then a beast Now the exposition to be understood is that thus it is not absolutely but for ought which a mans reason can observe to difference them Which exposition being excluded he that shall press the words of Solomon shall pluck up all Religion by the roots Those add unto the true sentence of Scripture who say That those shall obtain eternal life who believe that their sins are forgiven for Christs sake provided they shall recount all their sins unto the Priest and obtain absolution from him He changes somewhat of the true sentence who says That the Law is therefore holy because the knowledg thereof makes a man holy for it is not therefore holy but because it makes a man to despair of his own strength and brings him unto Christ the onely means of salvation and because it shews what things please or displease God to the end we may worship him not after our own inventions and constitutions but according to his command A third means whereby a false sentence is thrust into the doctrine of Religion appearing to be true onely instead of that which is true indeed is when from some true sentence a false one is by a wrong inference collected which collection shall be used in place of the true one from which it was drawn So when the Bishop of Rome hath gathered out of those words Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever shall be loosed by thee on earth shall be loosed in heaven this sentence That he hath power to make new laws and to constitute new heads of doctrine or as they call them new articles of Faith and to compel men to keep and observe the one and to believe the other This collection or inference of his he makes account of as of a sentence of Scripture Now there is a kinde of false inferences or collections very hidden and obscure forasmuch as they are partly drawn from suppositions which are neither expressed nor perhaps once thought of by the collectors yet are such collections admited without any question even as if they did arise out of most certain and clear grounds This may be seen in that collection we last named For that it may be infered That power to make laws was given to Peter it is requisite that the word binde should signifie to make laws For so you shall rightly collect to binde is to make laws power of binding is given to Peter and consequently of making laws In like maner you may collect to loose is to repeal laws now power to loose was given to Peter therefore power to abrogate laws was given to him And since it is said Whatsoever thou shalt bind and whatsoever thou shalt loose it will follow that Peter may make or revoke what laws he please yea the Ten commandmenâ—s he may abrogate if he think fit Again That all this may appear to belong to the Pope another supposition must be made viz. Whatsoever authority was given to Peter the same is given to the Roman Bishop since therefore Peter had authority givâ—n him to make or abrogate what laws he please the same authority is given to the Roman Bishop But this conclusion is infered without any mention of those suppositions That to binde and to loose is to make and revoke laws and that Whatever authority was given to Peter is given to the Bishop of Rome Neither is every man able to mark in the making of such collections what that is which is omited and passed over with silence as out of all question true though it be indeed as false as false may be Furthermore easie it is for any to understand That the obscurity of sentences or doctrines of Religion is a cause that if any mutation be made it cannot easily be discerned Now the obscurity of Christian doctrine springs from these grounds First because it handles the things of the spirit and therefore cannot be understood without the spirit which spirit being wanting though there be a great corruption of doctrine yet can it not be discerned Another ground is because being written in one tongue we are forced to learn it in another tongue into which it is not very aptly translated And although a man should give himself to study the Hebrew and Greek yet seeing they are not now used by any Nation but have their Being onely in Books he will never be able to leaâ—n them so perfectly but that the proper signification and various use of many words and phrases will be hid from his knowledg Howbeit this obscurity we speak of is not so great but that where some portion of the Spirit is present those things at least which are necessary to be known for salvation may easily be understood And so much for the causes of not discerning a change in doctrine which are in the doctrine it self we are now to handle such Causes as are in the maner of the change Now the manner of the change makes it undiscerned for as much as the change is made by little and little for if so be as we said before out of some great heap of grain every day some few grains should be taken and as many of another sort be put in the room of them who could be able to discover the mutation Who is able to discern how much it is that a boy grows daily or how much a man declines and waxes old Now the very self-same thing is to be seen in the mutation of doctrine for we shall have a man to day suppose who if he make no other change will at least invent some generall name for to call such things by as agree in nature or in some common reference or respect which name will be afterward applied to things very different and it shal by this means come to passe that the nature and notion of the former things will be obscured thus did they that first called the holy washing and the Supper of our Lord Sacraments What hurt could any one so much as suspect from so small a matter Howbeit in process of time there were those who supposing that any sacred and holy rite was intended by the terme Sacrament began to give that name to laying on of hands Marriage Penitence Confirmation Extreme Unction Whence it is come to passe that Baptisme and the Supper having a name common to them with other things of much different nature their true notion is rendred dark and obscure For there remained with the generall name a notion in like manner generall and common to those other things whereas the proper notion which ought ever to be kept in mind is forgotten Hence also it came to pass that as it was manifest that